Vehicle direction signal



Dec. 14, 1943. A. P. WELSH VEHICLE DIRECTION SIGNAL Filed April 21, 1941 2 Sheets-Sheet l I N VENTOR. 141012240 1% lVc/s/v 4 7' TO/PNE Dec. 14, 1943. WELSH 2,336,905

VEHICLE DIRECTION SIGNAL Filed April 21, 1941 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 y IIIA 1711101111111- w Jim.

- R h INVENTOR. 39 fi' Alonzo R/Vbb/L,

'Patented Dec. 14, 1943 UNITED STATE PAT E NT OFFlCE 6 The present invention relates generally to vehicle signals, and more particularly to direction indicatingsignals by means of which, in the interests of traflic safety, the driver of an automobile or other motor car may signal his intended direction of movement in approaching turns and sectional views, taken respectively alon the lines Handl-Ioil'igure'l.

intersections in a manner which will be plainly visible.- It is one or the primary obiectsof the invention to arrange for the extension of this visibility to all trailic approaching, following or at either side of the signalling vehicle.

It is another object of the invention to provide a vehicle signal of the above type including a conveniently arranged signal control means of a combined manual and automatic nature which may be readily installed, and easily operated both from a manual and also an automatic standpoint. I

With the above general objects in mind, further and more specific objects relating to simplicity, economy and durability will be better understood and more thoroughly appreciated in the course of the detailed description to follow.

The invention embraces the construction, com- I binations, and arrangements which, in the detailed description thereof, will be referred to by with the accompanying numerals in connection drawings. In the consideration of these drawings it is to be understood that the specific dis,- closure of various of the parts, as well as combinations of such parts, is to be taken as merely exemplary of the best modeso far devised for carrying the invention into practical use. In these drawingafurtherrnore,

Figure 1,is a perspective view, partly broken away, of the visible signal exhibitor, or signal member. i I

Figure 2 is a bottom plan view thereof.

Figure 10 is a detail horizontal sectional view taken along the line lU-ll of Figure 6, and,

Figure 11 is a diagrammatic view, illustrating a convenient arrangement oi electrical connections.

Referring now to the above described figures of the drawings. and more particularly to the signal exhibitor as shown in Figures 1 to 5 inelusive, a signal casing is generally indicated at ner edges down .to its lower II, for disposition at a suitable or desired point on the turret top of an automobile or other motor car or vehicle, a portion of which top is indicated at IS in Figures 1 and '1, toprovide for full view of the casing from all points of the compass. For the above purpose, the casing ll, open at its bottom, has four, flattened and vertically inclined side wall sections ll, ll, II and II, and a curved,,streamlined top 2!, the curvature of which carries over and downwardly between said wall sections to thus eliminate comers and coredge surrounding its open body;

It is contemplated the casing may rest upon a vehicle top with'its lower edge seated on an interposed sealing ring, frame or member of flanged or other form, and of rubber or other suitable material withwhich the said lower edge of the casing llmay conveniently form a weather seal.

As seen particularly in Figure 3, the approximately central portion of the casing top II has an internally threaded boss therein, receiving the threaded upper end of a tubular upright anchoring member 24. The lower. portion oi this member 24 dependsthrough an opening formed for 7 its reception in the turret top It, and has a por- Figure 3 is a partial vertical, longitudinal sec-- tional view through the signal exhibitor, taken substantially on line H of Figure 2.

Figure 4 is a partial vertical, transverse sectional view through the exhibitor, taken substantially on lint-1H of Fi ure 2. v v Figure 5 is aiietail vertical sectional view, taken substantially an line l-l cf-I'lgure 4. v.

Figure ii -is oview partly, in side elevation and l vertical section, the signal'conpartly trol 1 Flgure'*T-is a sectional top plan view of the parts seen in Figure 8, viewed line 'i.i

i of said figure, and with portions oi the switch case or cover broken away.

.- Figures 8 and 9am detail transverse, vertica tion below said top opening oi a length to extend.

substantially to the upholstery of the vehicle. Around this latter ,2! as in Fignre.3, may be sleeve 28 with its upper end the top it, so that an acornfor other nut 21 threaded on the lower end of tube It will have bearing against the lower end-jof aid-ithimble'or sleeve, at lineof the tl-jto oi reedin wile 20 .into the tubefrom the space above the upholstery II, and the, tube has openportion or the anchor tube 24, vi above the upholstery placed a thimble or lower surface or :i at are the current carrying and oppositely vertical arrow at the forward end of the stem. The stem 34 the diagram Figure 1-1.

, A3 in the manner, as for ing from the latter, is

ings 30 within the signal casing l through which such wires may radiate to the lighting bulbs or lamps for the signal windows as presently described.

In the flattened side walls of the signal casing l5 areformed signal windows as by means of transparent sections in the nature of glass-covered cut outs, it being contemplated that the front and rear walls I! and It may have similar windows in the form of a central upright arrow 3i indicating straight ahead movement, and oppositely extending side arrows 32 and 33 indicating respectively right and left turns.

It is further contemplated that if color is desirable, and is to be used, the transparent cover of arrow 3! may be colored amber, that ofarrow 32 may be colored green, and that of arrow 33 may be colored red. However other distinguishing colors may be used.

The side walls I9 and may each have a similar form of transparent window arrangement, as

for instance, a single,horizontal arrow stem 34, heads 35 and 36 will be lighted when proceeding straight ahead, and arrows heads 35 and 36 respectively lighted ,when right and left turns are to be made. If

colors are used, stem 34 will be of one color and arrow heads 35 and 35 of different colors, for example corresponding to those of the front and rear indicating arrows 3i, 32 and 33.

Within the casing i5 any suitablemeans may be used to bring about individual lighting of the several arrows, although it is to be understood corresponding signals are simultaneously exhibited at all sides of the casing. Thewalls of the casing may be paralleled byinner partitions 3i and shields 38 may be used as in Figures 4 and 5, so that the several bulbs or lamps 39 will light the corresponding signal windows individually with proper wiring, as for example according to The several bulbs or lamps 39 will be grounded at one side through the partitions 3'1 and anchor tube 24%, or through any other suitrile means, to the car frame, and current will be furnished as for instance from the car battery through suitable control connections, the description of which follows.

Within the vehicle is a combined manual and automatic control arrangement consisting of a switch, the manual control feature of which is a switch lever or arm Qt, having a handle or finger piece M atits outer end. As best seen in Figures 6 and '7, this switch has a bottom supporting plate 32 which is rigidly held in a horizontal position adjacent the steering post or column 33, and to the left thereof beneath the steering wheel 4t, upon the outer end'of an inclined supporting arm whose lower inner end clamp ii rigidly embracing the steering column ure l0.

Mounted in a horizontally disposed and swingable position slightly above, the bottom plate 32, on a pivot post 48 upstanda segmental switch plate 50 provided with centrally disposed, lengthwise upstanding wings vl9 in spaced parallel relation to receive between them the inner end portion, of the switch lever 40. These wings the outer ends thereof, support the intermediate pivot ill of lever 40, on which the latter is swing able in a vertical plane so that upon depression of its outer handle 4| below the normal horizonissecurely fixed at $6 to one part of a two=part.,

example, shown in Fi and parallel with,

49, adjacent to engaged with a stationary contact piece 53 supported by the upper inner end portions of the wings t9 and connected to wire 29 of the diagram Figure 11, for the lamps indicating straight 10 ahead,

Preferably the inner portion of switch lever 36 is held against accidental displacement in the upper and lower positions thereof, as by means of a spring actuated ball check 56 carried there- 15 by as shown in Figure 9, one of the wings Q9 of the switch plate 56 having vertically spaced recesses 55 in which the ball check seats in its respective normal and active positions with regard to the signal for straight ahead driving.

It is obvious from the foregoing that the switch lever 56 may swing bodily in a horizontal direction to cause similar movementof the switch plate 50 in either direction from its normal central or neutral position shown in Figure 6 for 2o purposes which will be presently made plain} It it can only occur when the switch plate is in neutral position, and if it has been depressed and is subsequently shifted horizontally, it will be returned to its normal horizontal position when 35 so shifted.

To efiect the above, the adjacent outer end of the supporting plate 412 has a short transversely disposed upright wall 56 below the lever ill at a point outwardly beyond its pivot 5|, as best seenv n in Figures 6, 7 and 8. This wall 56 has its upper edge inclined upwardly in opposite directions, as at 57, from its centralportion 58 on which the lever 66 rests when depressed to engage contacts 52 and 53, as in Figure 8.

Thus, if lever Q6 is shifted horizontally in either direction for swinging the switch plate 50, one of the inclined edges 5? will act as a cam to force the lever tit upwardly to its neutral position and disengage contacts 52 and 53. This action, which is important as we shall later see, is plainly indicated in Figure 8. Preferably the wall 56 has upstanding lugs 5% which serve to properly limit the horizontal swinging movements of lever 60 and consequently those of the switch plate 59.

At its inner larger end, remote from its pivot post d8, switch plate 58 has a pair of insulated contact buttons 6d and'tfl, respectively for the right and left turn signals. These buttons are respectively connected to wires 29 and 29 of the diagram, Figure 11. Below the central portion of the switch plate, the bottom supporting plate carries a spring supported contact piece 62 which is held upwardly into engagement with the switch plate 56 in the are or path of movement of buttons 6t and EL This contact piece is also connected to the current feed wire 29, as in the diagram Figure 11, so that when the button 60 engages the same, current will be fed to all of the right turn signals or signal lamps, and when the button 6| engages the contact piece current will be fed to all of the left turn signal lamps.

The inner curved edge of the segmental switch plate 50 is also toothed as at 63 and in mesh with the toothed edge portion 64 of a disc 65,

standing from the supporting plate 42 near its inner end.

The disc 55, above mentioned, is of course disposed in the plane of the switch plate 50 .with which it meshes, and in addition, it is mounted and connected to form a movable unit with an upper segmental disc 61. Disc 65 has, at its inner portion, a peripheral notch 68, and the upper or control of the signal switch by virtue of connections as follows.

A bow-shaped spring actuator HI is supported. on a bracket 1| fixedly, secured to the hub 12 of the steering wheel, so that the latter when maintaining the steering wheels for straight and-notch 69 of disc ahead driving, positions the actuator 10 adjacent, and at right angles to, the switch supporting plate 42, and thus near, though spaced from, the discs 65 and 61.

The actuator 10 has one spring arm 13, extending in one direction in the horizontal plane of the disc 65, and another spring arm 14 extending in the opposite direction and in the plane of the disc 61. Both of these spring arms 13 and 14, it will be noted, have their ends bent to form similar engaging heads 15 and I6.

Thus if switch lever 40 is swung by hand horizontally in the direction of the arrow 11 in Figure 7, the switch plate 50 will be shifted in the opposite direction until its contact button 6! engages contact piece 62 whereupon in the diagram Figure ll, current will flow from feed wire 29 through feed wire 29 to the several left turn signal lighting lamps. At the same time, the assembly of discs 65 and 61 will be partially rotated in a clockwise direction so that the notch 68 of disc 65 will be shifted past the center line, 61 will be shifted out of range of engagement by the spring bow 10. When the turn is to be made toward the left, and in the making of such turn, the head 15 of spring arm 13 will move counterclockwise against, and flex along, the peripheral edge of disc 6! without encountering its notch 68, but when, after the turn is made, the actuating bow I is moved in the opposite direction, its head 15 will enter notch 68 and will, in the further movement of the steering wheel in the return to normal straight ahead movement, rotate the discs back to normal position, with a corresponding shifting of the switch plate and switch lever to neutral position.. The same operation takes place with the cooperation of spring head I6 and notch 69 of disc 61 after a right hand turn has been made, and thus, after a manual settling has been made, and the indicated turn has been accomplished, the manually set switch parts will be automatically returned to neutral position after the indicated turn has beenmade, and during straightening of the vehicle on-its new-course, to thus erase the previously set signal.

Similarly, should no turn signal bemanually set prior to a turn of the vehicle, it is obvious that the proper signal will be set automatically through the means just described during the turn, anderased by the same automatically act-- ing means when the vehicle is again straightened out after the turn has been made.

Should the straight ahead signal be set by manually depressing the switch lever handle 4!, and a turn signal subsequently set either manually or automatically, the straight ahead signal will be erased during the setting of the turn signal, in the manner previously set forth. 4

Preferably the switch is completed by a protecting cover 18, shown in Figure 6, which seats on the supporting plate 42, with edge recesses for accommodating the externally projecting parts, namely the switch lever 40 and the notched peripheral portions of the discs GS'and S1 to be engaged by the automatically acting spring bow 10. This cover 18 may have appropriately dis-' posed surface arrows 19 and 80, indicating the direction of swinging movement of the handle end of lever 40 in the respective setting of right and leftturn signals. The cover may also have,

as shown in Figure 6, a signal window 8| and a lighting bulb or lamp 82 therebeneath which is connected in any suitable manner so that it is lighted upon the engagement of any of the signal setting switch contacts, to thus act as a check and show the operator a signal has been set and that the signal apparatus as a whole is functionln It is believed to be obvious from the foregoing that the invention may be applied with equal facility as equipment on new cars, and as an attachment for cars already in use, since the clamp 41 and the adjustable connection of supporting arm 45 thereto by clamping bolt 45, provides for a wide range of adjustment toicars of diiferent member, the said makes, and to permit of disposition of the switch supporting plate 42 in a manner which will permit of easy and convenient manipulation of the switch lever 40.

If it is so desired, an ordinary flasher coil and the like, indicated at 83 in Figure 7 on the switch supporting plate 42, may be suitably connected in the controlling circuit of the signal lamps so that, when lighted, the lamps will flash on and off to thus draw attention in a greater degree to the signals.

Having thus fully described and otherwise disclosed the invention, what is claimed is:

In a direction signal, a signal exhibitor comprising a casing for disposition on the top of a connecting member depending within and below the casing, having its upper end in threaded connection with an internal portion of the said top, and means on the lower portion of said member for clamping engagement with the top of a vehiole for clamping the casingtightly on said sealing connecting member being tubularand having wall apertures above and below theloweredgeofthecasing. 

